Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 3 · Subsection 39
39. Quest. How the law is established by the doctrine of faith.
1. Origen and Theodoret thinke that the law is established by faith, because the law did write of Christ, and commanded to beleeue in him: as Deut. 18. A Prophet shall the Lord God raise from among your brethren like vntounto me, &c. But the Euangelicall promises contained in the old Testament, belong rather vntounto the Gospel, then the Law.
2. Ambrose vnderstandeth it of the performing and fulfilling of the ceremonies: mystica & ceremoniala spiritualiter implentur, the mysticall ceremonies of the law, are spiritually fulfilled: gloss. ordinar. to the same purpose Hierome: the law is established, when it appeareth, that one Testament succeeded an other, one circumcision an other, and spirituall things succeed carnall, &c. But it is euident that the Apostle specially meaneth the morall law, by the which commeth the knowledge of sinne, v. 20.
3. Chrysostome giueth this sense, quia fides voluntatem legis statuit, because faith establisheth the will and intent of the law: for the intendment of the law, was to iustifie men by the works thereof: now that which the law could not doe, faith effecteth. But in this point of iustification, faith rather is contrarie to the law, for the one requireth the condition of works, the other onelyonly of beleeuing.
4. Beza and Pareus in these two points will hauehave the law established, first because Christ satisfied the punishment of the law in dying for our sinnes, according to the sentence of the law, thou shalt die the death: and in that Christ by his perfect obedience hath fulfiller the law: But it seemeth that the Apostle speaketh in generall of the establishing of the law in all the members of Christ, and not in Christ their head onelyonly.
5. Therefore in these two things rather is the law established; because by it commeth the knowledge of sinne, and the law is a schoolemaster to bring vsus vntounto Christ, it sheweth vsus our disease, and sendeth vsus to the Physitian: Faius, Sasbout: but because this is not the proper effect of the law, otherwise then by reason of our infirmitie; the Apostle is to be vnderstood to speake of the practise and obedience of the law, which Christ requireth of the faithfull, who though they doe not looke thereby to be iustified, yet by the spirit of sanctification are enabled to walk according to the same: as the law commandeth that we should louelove the Lord with all our heart, and our neighbour as our selfe: these precepts eueryevery Christian is bound to keepe. And in this sense our Sauiour specially saith, Matth. 5. I came not in dissolue the Law, but to fulfill it: so Origen, omnis qui credens Christo bene agit, &c. vi…en… legem confirmat, &c. eueryevery one which beleeueth in Christ, and doth well, doth confirme the law by his life: to the same purpose Augustine; fides impetrat gratiam, qua lex implet…, &c. faith obtaineth grace, whereby the law is fulfilled, &c. the Gospel giueth grace, whereby men are directed to liue and walke according to the law.
Adde hereunto, that without faith it is impossible to keepe the law, or any part thereof as the law commandeth vsus to louelove God with all our heart, but no man can louelove God, vnles… he first know him and beleeue in him. Againe, the law commandeth the worship of God, whereof inuocation is a part: but none can call vponupon him, vponupon whome they hauehave not beleeued, Rom. 10. Mart.
6. Other expositions there be of this place: Caietane saith, that faith doth establish the law, because by faith we beleeue, that God is the author of the law, without which faith i… would be of no greater authoritie with men, then the laws of Lycurgus and Solon.
7. Catharinus a Popish writer, herein would hauehave the lawe holpen by the Gospell, because those things, which were handled obscurely in the lawe, are manifested openly in the Gospell: the lawe was kept then thorough a seruile feare, but now vnderunder the Gospell for the louelove of iustice: But leauing those and other like expositions, I insist vponupon the fift before alleadged, as most agreeable vntounto S. Paul.
8. Now then whereas the Apostle in some places speaketh of the abrogating of the law: as Heb. 7.12. If the Priesthood be changed, there must of necessitie be a change of the lawe: and v. 18. the commandement, that was afore is disanulled, because of the weakenesse thereof and vnprofitablenes, &c. he is not herein contrarie to himselfe, for either the Apostle speaketh of the ceremoniall lawe, as in the first place, but it is the morall law which is established by faith: or be meaneth that the vnprofitable ende of the morall lawe, which was to iustifie men, is abrogated: but here he speaketh of an other ende, and vse of the lawe, which is to be a direction vntounto good life; in which sense the lawe is established.
9. Thus the Apostle hath answeared this obiection, least he might hauehave seemed to abrogate the lawe, because he denieth vntounto it power to iustifie, vntounto this obiection he maketh a double answear, first in denying that he doth not take away the effect of the lawe: for where one ende of a thing is denied, all are not taken away: secondly he answeareth by the contrarie, he is so farre from abrogating or disanulling the lawe, that contrariwise he doth establish and confirme it, as is shewed before.